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Home-grown orchids a budding proposal in Manchester
Monday, July 31, 2000 By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
When some people think of Pittsburgh, they still envision steel mills and smoky skies. Others identify the city by its sports teams or its three rivers or its colleges and hospitals or Heinz ketchup.
But who'd ever think Pittsburgh could become known for producing orchids?
Well, Bill Strickland would.
The president of the Bidwell Training Center on the North Side is trying to come up with $3 million to create something called Harbor Gardens Greenhouse.
It would be a 46,000-square-foot glass facility located at Bidwell offices on Metropolitan Street in Manchester and "dedicated to producing orchids," according to a recent funding request submitted to the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Strickland readily admits that growing the delicate, beautiful flowers would be "untraditional" for Pittsburgh but insists that untraditional thinking is what may be needed now.
"Innovation and environmental technology are the future of the city," he said. "The greenhouse will be used as the basis for horticultural education for inner-city kids."
The facility will produce a number of different kinds of flowers, both annuals and perennials, but when asked why he had decided to focus on growing orchids, Strickland said, "Because I like them."
Bidwell has a long track record in educating youths in such areas as ceramics, photography, computer-based design and other fields. He thinks the new greenhouse could handle about 20 horticultural students at one time.
Currently, the closest greenhouse for growing orchids is in Chicago, Strickland said. Other production centers are in Florida, South Carolina and California, which leaves the northeastern United States as a huge potential market.
The URA is serving as a conduit for a $925,000 "economic development initiative grant" from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which would make up nearly a third of the money needed.
According to the proposal before the URA, Bidwell's greenhouse would sell its orchids to garden centers and boutique florists within a 300-mile radius of Pittsburgh. Strickland said the Home Depot chain is another potential customer.
"It's a nice 'niche' market," he said. "There isn't a lot of competition [in orchid production], at least in the East."
He doesn't know yet where the rest of the funds will come from but said he is looking at state and federal sources. Two possibilities are the departments of Education and Commerce. He said U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum is helping find some funds.
Strickland hopes to have the money he needs in time to begin construction on the greenhouse by spring.
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